Jan 16 2011

Bicycle Helmet Laws Revisited

We’d love to read your comments
about bike helmet laws.

On the January 14 blog, I discussed bike helmet laws in a post titled: trailsnet: Why is it called a “Bike Scheme?”

Later that day, I was happy to see an email from Barry with his view on helmets specifically and safe-biking in general. I especially enjoy hearing from Barry because of his diverse background and love of the outdoors/trails. Barry has lived in multiple countries, so he brings a unique and experienced perspective to any discussion.

Here is what Barry had to say about helmets, helmet laws, and bicycling in general:

Kevin.Your post has struck a sour-note with me.And,if you don’t mind,I will vent my anger.


   About 10-years ago,back home in Aotearoa/New-Zealand, it became compulsory to wear helmets when cycling. If stopped by the police, one could be fined up to $100 for not wearing a helmet. So, to get round this, cyclists found ways to avoid wearing helmets – cycling on the footpath (which didn’t work), using safety/construction helmets(which also didn’t work) or cycling with the helmet attached to the handlebars(which also didn’t work).

   Here in Japan, a country known for it’s courtesy, 99.9% of cyclists show absolutely no courtesy. They ride in a reckless manner showing absolutely no regard for the safety of themselves and others, or any regard for the law. Pedestrians have to jump to safety when confronted by a cyclist on footpaths or suffer the consequences. I could write reams of  stories of my experiences of cyclists and how they don’t get themselves injured or killed. So,while these guys are out defying injury or death on their bikes,they are not wearing a helmet or any other protective gear (I remember my first encounter of such a person – a mother,riding on the wrong side of a poorly-illuminated road,with no lights/reflective gear,with a young child  on the back seat and a baby on the front carrier. Needless to say I was horrified). When I was taught how to drive,I was told that you had to keep as far as to the left as practicable. Here you keep as far as to the right as practicable.And god-help you if you run a cyclist over,regardless if they are in the wrong.You are the one that gets done.

   But, in saying that, I do not agree that wearing helmets when cycling should be compulsory. Like the wearing of safety-belts when driving a vehicle, the wearing of helmets comes-down to the person who is riding. If that person, whether it is them, a member of their family or others, wants to get on a bike and ride in a reckless manner without wearing a helmet,SO-BE-IT.
   But, in saying that, if the authorities want to play with the law, they should look closely at the law regarding neglect. If a parent wants to put a child on a bike, whether alone or with them, they accept that responsibility and the consequences that come with it. If a parent physically abuses a child, doesn’t care for their health, feed/cloth them adequately, they can be charged with neglect. But they will allow them to put that child on a bike without a helmet and nothing is done.

   Here, the wearing of cycle helmets is way down on the list. If one goes into a cycle-shop, the helmet section is in a far corner with a few on display. In a recent promotional campaign by the Japanese Cycle Federation that was centered on cycle safety/repair, there was no mention on the commercial of a child wearing a helmet (the commercial showed a child,who wasn’t wearing a helmet,riding out of control down a hill with failed brakes).

   Back home, if a child arrives at school without wearing a helmet, the principal is informed, a letter is then given to the parent informing them that action will be taken if this continues. If it does continue, the parent is then informed that the matter will be put in the hands of the authorities – and you don’t want that to happen, believe me.

   Phew. I am so glad I got that off my chest. Thank you Kevin for letting me use your space to vent my anger/frustration.

                                                        Regards,

                                                                    Barry.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/16/bicycle-helmet-laws-revisited/

Jan 15 2011

Destination Trails

In a recent post on the River Mountain Loop Trail blog, RMLTMan wrote an excellent explanation as to why he thought the RMLT was a destination trail. It got me wondering if there is a set definition out there for a destination trail.

Here are some of the criteria for a destination trail:

  • length – The trail should be over 20 miles long.
  • scenery – The trail should have scenic appeal of one kind or another.
  • accessibility – The trail should be maintained so that a wide variety of guests can use it.
  • attractions – The trail should have certain characteristics to draw tourists such as tunnels, trestles, wildflowers, spectacular views, a distinct landscape, regional characteristics, historical significance, points-of-interest, unique design or construction, water feature, or some other reason that would attract people to visit the trail.
  • nearby attractions – In addition to the trail’s inherent attractions it should also other reasons, nearby, to visit the area. (monuments, parks, architectural structures, waterfalls, mountains, etc.)
  • facilities – The trail should have at least the basics like parking and restrooms. It is also desirable for it to have water, educational signage, and campgrounds or access to lodging.

Mount Vernon Trail with D.C. monuments

Some examples of great destination trails include:

Of course there are others, but as for the River Mountain Loop Trail?
I absolutely think it is a destination trail, and I will be visiting it within the next month.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/15/destination-trails/

Jan 14 2011

Why is it called a "Bike Scheme?"

Now I know the topic for my next poll/survey. (The one in the left column of this blog)

Should helmets be mandatory? Normally, I wouldn’t think much about this, because wearing a helmet, to me, seems as natural as wearing shoes. Most times, it almost a reflex action. But a couple recent incidents have made me wonder what the best policy is.

This morning, a friend sent me a link to an article out of Melbourne, Australia. The article was about the Melbourne bike scheme. (I hate that phrase!! More later.)

According to the article, the whole program of providing inexpensive bicycles to the populous was not overly successful. It was a bit expensive and had relatively low user-ship initially. Then, it got worse due to Victoria’s strict, compulsory helmet law. If a bicyclist is caught riding without a helmet, the fine is $146.

At first I thought, “So that’s Victoria’s secret?” Then I started thinking of all the reasons a person might not wear a helmet:

Should helmets be man-
datory for bike riders?

  • helmet not available
  • helmet hair
  • helmets look dorky (to some people)
  • helmets are uncomfortable if you’re not used to wearing them.
  • sweaty head
  • possible head lice w/ rented/borrowed helmet
Mind you, I’m trying to imagine how other people might view the compulsory helmet law, not necessarily how I think.
So they’re trying to encourage bicycle use, but then forcing people to wear helmets or get socked with an outrageous fine. Hmmmmm!! Doesn’t sound very encouraging to me.
So they came up with a partial solution. The government subsidized the purchase of helmets and made them readily accessible to people… and that helped… to the tune of $2 million. Ridership is now up… somewhat.
But the “bike scheme” itself cost a chunk of money, then the helmets cost more.  It’s starting to add up. Of course, my question is, “Do they have good, safe places to ride all these bikes while under the umbrella of these safe, compulsory helmets?”
So this is an instance of: We want to encourage people to ride bikes as an alternative to dirty, stinking, polluting, congesting, impersonal… cars. But then, we make them wear helmets and sock them w/ big fines if they don’t wear the helmets.
So are compulsory helmets going too far? What about if I’m just riding my cruiser bike a couple blocks to get a cup of coffee? What if I’m riding a few blocks from the bus station to my office, and I don’t want helmet head all day at work? What if I temporarily misplaced my helmet and need to do a short ride without it? How am I going to feel about paying a $146 fine in those circumstances? And how encouraging is that if I’m already on the fence about whether this whole bike-riding thing is such a good idea?
And finally, “Why do they call it a ‘bike scheme’?” Isn’t that a poor choice of words. “Scheme” has negative connotations as in, “You no good, filthy, dirty, scheming thief.” Why not a “bike plan” or a “bike promotion” or …
Now’s your chance to tell me I’m full of crap or, worse yet, full of “schemes.”

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/14/why-is-it-called-a-bike-scheme/

Jan 13 2011

Kansas Cycling Opportunities

One of the benefits of blogging about trails and bicycling is that it opens my eyes to all the great bike trails and websites out there.

I now realize how little I knew when I first got started. One great example of that is Kansas. (the state, not the band) I hate to admit that I wouldn’t have considered Kansas as a cycling state if not for recent forays into blogs and websites such as Kansas Cyclist, RecumBum, and DirtBum.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. Kansas has awesome cycling opportunities and great websites to showcase those opportunities. I just had my head too close to my bicycle seat before.

summer means sunflowers
& trails

First of all, nearest to my heart, are the trails in Kansas. Two spectacular looking ones that I hope to do within the next year are the Prairie Spirit Trail and the Flint Hills Trail. Both of those trails are already top-notch, and it sounds like they’ll continue to get better with future expansions in the works.

Although I’m not much of a road cyclist, it sounds like Kansas also has some nice options there, too.

Now that Kansas is on my trails/cycling radar, I hope to be able to give you first-hand accounts of their trail system and their cycling community. Who knows, maybe someday we’ll be able to hop on a bike in Utah and ride all the way to eastern Missouri without ever getting off a trail of some kind. I promise you, if they build it, we will come.

Of course I welcome any and all comments and suggestions about Kansas Trails. I can’t wait to learn more about the cycling opportunities in the Sunflower State.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/13/kansas-cycling-opportunities/

Jan 12 2011

The Dirt Bum blog

I enjoy finding blogs about bicycle touring and the people who ride their bikes for enjoyment and exploration.

bike riding w/ friends on a
great American rail-trail

One of my recent finds is the Dirt Bum blog. It’s by a guy who enjoys exploring the back roads of Kansas on his bike. I think what really caught my attention was his information about the time he spent riding a couple different recumbents. I usually assume (sometimes incorrectly) that people who ride recumbents are more into the scenery, relaxation, and recreation of riding rather than the speed & competition. Since that’s my style of biking, it’s fun to read the experiences of like-minded individuals

Of course I had to ask, in the comments section of the blog, if he’d had any experience on rail-trails.  I know that Kansas is home to the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail and a few smaller ones also.

Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes I enjoy biking the back roads. But when I really want to relax and enjoy my biking, nothing beats a good rail-trail.

I’d love to continue exploring blogs that are related to trails, bicycling, and active travel. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. I love to get reader feedback about the other favorite blogs out there.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/12/the-dirt-bum-blog/

Jan 11 2011

Sparta, WI has the bike trails to prove its supremacy.

I just learned that Sparta, Wisconsin bills itself as the “bicycling capital of America.”

bicycle capital of
America

To that I reply, “Way to go Sparta.” Any town that is proud of its cycling connection deserves the title of bicycle capital. From what I’ve seen of the bike trail network in Wisconsin & especially in the Sparta area, they would certainly rate up there pretty high for me. Personally I would gladly put Sparta ahead of some of the other high ranking towns based on bike-trail density alone.

The most well-known trail in the Sparta area is the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail. It is a long trail through beautiful Wisconsin countryside. Any town can say it’s the bicycle capital, but those who can prove it through a solid infrastructure of trails, has an advantage over the competition, in my book.

Then there’s the cool bicycle statue that says welcome to Sparta, Wisconsin. Do Portland, OR & Boulder, CO have large bicycle statues? Oh sure, Boulder has the runner statue and nearby Louisville, CO does have a statue of the late-great John Breaux standing beside his bike; but the huge, colorful biker statue in Sparta kicks butt, in comparison.

The bottom line is that Sparta has the trails and it has the bicycle pride. Ladies & gentlemen, we have a new bicycling capital… for now anyway… until you can prove to me that your town deserves to be capital for a while.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2011/01/11/sparta-wi-has-the-bike-trails-to-prove-its-supremacy/